You can rely on me, honey
by charactersthatholdmyheart
Summary: This will be a bunch of unconnected Rizzles short stories (both fluff and on the darker side) that didn't quite make it to full stories, but I love just the same. Thought I'd share them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was originally a prompt on tumblr from Devi (krismunroes):** **Maura and Jane take Tommy's child and Jo Friday to the park. :3 **

**It was written before we knew what Maura and Jane were going to do with the baby-was Tommy going to be involved? etc **

**Warning that this is full of fluff :)**

* * *

"I'm so glad we're doing this Jane," Maura said, grinning.

She held Edmond, bouncing him in her arms.

"We do this every weekend, Maura. Why wouldn't we do it?" Jane asked, as she finished spreading the blanket on the grass, and rolled down onto it, sighing in relief.

"I know, but it's been a long week. I think we both needed this more than ever," Maura said. Jane smiled in agreement and nodded, as she closed her eyes, finally relaxed. That is until she felt wetness on her face.

"Oh, god, Jo Friday! Can't I just relax for five seconds without you licking my face!"

She sat up quickly, casting an annoyed glance at the dog, but reached out to pet her affectionately. Maura chuckled as she settled down on the blanket next to Jane. She held Edmond in her lap facing her. Maura started making funny faces at him, and the baby laughed. Jane watched the two of them in awe.

She still couldn't get over seeing Maura being so silly, so open. It had only been 4 months since Edmond had been left on their doorstep. Maura had fallen into motherhood so gracefully, her online shopping replaced with fussing over Edmond, making sure he was going through all of the right stages of development, that they were doing all what they could to raise him correctly. Those sleepless nights, when they alternated in getting up out of the bed to take care of the baby, was around when Maura had stopped having the time to attend to her appearances so much. But Jane loved the way Maura looked with her hair up in a messy ponytail, no make-up, sitting their cradling the baby. In fact, she looked more beautiful than she ever had before. Maura simply glowed now, all of her love for Edmond beaming out of her. She let herself go around him, the child in her, the free-spirit came out. Maura Isles could speak baby-talk better than any mom Jane had ever heard.

Thinking that word—mom—stopped Jane short. It was still difficult for Jane to think of them as being labeled as mothers to Edmond, even though that's basically the role they both played. When it was clear Tommy didn't want the responsibility of the baby, Maura and Jane had naturally fallen into place as the baby's caretakers. They had ended up being exceptionally good at establishing a pattern for taking care of the baby, Jane naturally moving into Maura's house. As they fell in love with him, the talks about giving him up for adoption fell away. But there was always a question left unanswered, a feeling of temporariness that bothered Jane. They hadn't ever discussed adopting him as their own.

Jane looked away as this thought came to her, afraid Maura would read her face and know something was wrong, ask what she was thinking. Jane had been contemplating adopting Edmund for awhile now, finally able to admit to herself that no matter how scary it would be, she wanted to raise this kid. She loved him, needed him. He had left a mark that Jane knew wouldn't go away. Ever. But she wanted to raise Edmond with Maura. She saw this as one family, all three of them. She couldn't raise him on her own, didn't want to. She wanted Edmond and Maura.

She turned back, still absently stroking Jo Friday, and watched Maura who now lay down holding a giggling Edmond over her. She thought about the night Maura and Jane had whispered baby names in the dark, as if it was a secret that needed to be kept, as if deciding on his name was admitting that they were attached to him. Maura had suggested Edmond, after Edmond Locard she explained, who had been important to forensic science, in particular fingerprint identification. Jane rolled her eyes, but then Maura had grabbed her hand to stop her from saying yet another no.

"Jane, the most important thing he said about forensic science was that 'every contact leaves a trace'. And I just, I thought that fit the baby in a way, what he's done to us," Maura whispered into the dark, her eyes pleading with Jane to understand.

Jane understood. It was as if every contact they had with the baby, every touch, made them even more attached. He left traces of his presence everywhere, altering the very essence of their characters. They were forever changed by him, and for the better.

"I love it," she had finally said, and Maura had smiled so big, hugged Jane close to her.

Jane thought about this now, clung to this, as she thought about how to ask Maura what she desperately needed to know.

"Jane," Maura said, breaking through her thoughts. "I think Edmond's tired. Clearly, you are too. Do you want to take a nap with him?"

Jane smiled, and held her arms out for Edmond, embracing him to her chest as she lay down on the blanket. At this change, Jo Friday ran to settle down next to Maura, looking for someone to pet her. Maura lay down, Jo Friday snuggling against her side.

Jane soothed Edmond, drawing circles on his back, as he settled down facing Maura. He cooed softly at first, then fell silent, his eyes fluttering shut.

Jane didn't close her eyes though; she just lay there taking in the sight of Maura. Maura stared back at the two of them.

"He looks like you," she whispered softly.

Jane felt a flutter in her chest. She grinned at Maura in thanks.

She felt her heart pound, as the words tumbled out of her mouth, as she took this big chance.

"Yea, but I have a feeling he'll grow up to be more like you." She almost choked on the words, and once they were out she held her breath, waiting, hoping Maura understood what she was asking, wishing for.

Maura stared back at her for awhile, surprised. But then a wide grin lit up her face.

"Well, we'll have to wait and see, won't we. There's not so much I can do about the Rizzoli stubbornness I'm sure he has. However, I'm certainly going to try to make sure he doesn't get too obsessed with baseball, and instead understands the importance of science, as well as the appropriate terms for..."

Jane didn't think she'd ever felt so happy in her life. She laughed, interrupting Maura, "Oh, no. No son of mine is going to sit looking at science books instead of learning all about baseball. He's going to love baseball. I'm going to take him to every Sox game."

"Jane!" Maura cried, in mock irritation.

Jane impulsively reached for Maura's hand and kissed it. Maura lay frozen for a second, staring at their entwined hands, then into Jane's eyes. Then a slow smile spread across Maura's face, her eyes bright.

"I'll win, you know," she said, as she leaned over and softly kissed Jane's forehead.

Then Maura buried her head in the crook of Jane's neck, molded her body into the side of Jane, her arm wrapped around her and their baby. Jane's heart beat so fast. She slid her free arm around Maura, holding both of them closer, knowing two things. Maura was right—she'd always win. And now this was the happiest Jane had ever been in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: this particular short story is dark, but near and dear to my heart. **

**Jane's POV.**

* * *

Nothing feels real, concrete under your fingers. Everything wavers before your eyes, changes, and people don't mean what they say. You have a sensation that you're floating away. You're a balloon, and you have nothing keeping you close to the earth, to reality, to solid forms. So up, up, up you go but it terrifies you—the fact that you are so disconnected from everything.

You are watching everything but are not actually participating, not able to participate. You feel as though you have a grasp on something and then it slips through your fingers like sand, fading, fading away.

And it's hard to breathe up here. Your lungs are even failing you. You can't seem to get enough air through your nose. Your vision is blurry and changing shape and you can't trust it.

You can't trust anyone. This is how you have felt today. You've been winding down to this all week, getting increasingly worse, the five nights without sleep piling up on top of your chest and making you unable to move or breathe.

You can barely remember going to work today. Maura wasn't there. That fact sticks out in your mind. She hasn't been there the last few days. She's been at some medical conference somewhere and although you have noticed she has called you a few times in the last 24 hours and her texts have gotten increasingly urgent, you're not sure what to respond. You think your brain made you type: I'm fine. I'm good. I'm okay. Your go to responses. But this didn't seem to have made Maura feel better, for you feel your phone vibrate again next to your hip. Why is it so close to you anyways? You chuck it across the room.

You are angry at yourself for doing that. It was the only thing that was half keeping you in the real world. Well, okay, not even half. The light is slipping and the shadows are crawling in.

You lift your head, trying to get up to get your phone. The only thing that makes you want to move is Maura. You can think of no one else. You don't remember your interactions with people today at work. Or yesterday for that matter.

Maura. You look at your clock and it says 4:40. In the afternoon? They must have made you leave work. What did you do? You find only a tiny distant part of you even cares about that.

Maura.

The darkness is invading more and more. Maybe you have shut your eyes, but you can't be sure. It doesn't make much difference lately when they are open or closed. Everything is too harsh either way. And you see figures, haunting shadows. The victims you didn't save, couldn't. The killers who walk barefoot through grass despite your best efforts.

When it gets really bad, Hoyt comes. He comes with his scalpel. Oh God, you can feel your brain moving towards that image, and you can't do anything to stop it. It is a terrible intuitive knowledge, and the fear is already building even before the image takes control in your mind. You need to hold onto something. Anything.

Maura. Maura, Maura. You are chanting her name in your mind. It clashes with Hoyt's. You fight to push his dark one far away from her light form.

Her eyes. Her eyes always help you calm down. But you can't picture them try as you might. And now you are seeing Hoyt's eyes. Dark black holes that you fall down, down into. Into the abyss you've been circling around recently.

For he is the reason you haven't slept the last five nights. The reason why the time in which you do dream a bit—whether it be 15 minutes or half an hour if you're lucky—are filled with him wickedly grinning at you. His grin and his eyes. Those crooked teeth and that skillful hand, never wavering. His nostrils flare as he breathes, sucks in your fear, thriving off of it, living off of it, growing stronger. He has you pinned to the floor, crushing your lungs, your ribs piercing into your heart, ripping it apart.

You scream and your voice echoes in your head, empty threats and words that you know he takes no mind to. _No, you are gone! I killed you, you fucking bastard, I killed you. _

His chilling voice, his twisted words, are louder. _But I'm still here Jane. Right here with you. And the evil is still all around you. It's eating away all the good, taking over. It doesn't matter what you do. _

And he is standing on you now. The scalpels digging into your hands penetrate further and further down, dragging you down, down.

You are trying to reach for something, trying to reach but to no avail.

_Maura._ You reach for Maura. But you fail. Your hands are stuck and useless. You are useless. Useless, useless.

That awful voice again: It's_ all around you Jane. Evil. And you can't save her. _

Maura! you scream in desperation. You won't let anything touch her.

But try as you might all you can feel is Hoyt suffocating you instead of Maura's gentle arms wrapped around you. All you want is Maura. You are crying now. Though you are in Hoyt's world, you are conscious of the tears streaming down your cheeks, the cries emulating from your lips. Worthless. You're worthless.

You just want Maura, Maura, Maura

"Jane!"

That's not Hoyt's voice. It is the antithesis of it. It is the voice of an angel. You don't think it's coming from your head. There are hands pulling at you but they are not harsh and clawing like Hoyt's, but soft and soothing like Maura's. Maura. A little stream of light in the darkness breaks through. The scalpel's hold on your hand loosens a little. Maura.

You feel strong, warm arms wrapping around you. They aren't cold and painful like Hoyt's. They don't press down against you, digging into you. These arms pull you into a secure haven. You smell Maura's lotion. These arms hold you close so you don't float away, further into the darkness of Hoyt's world. They pull you into the sound of your name being whispered, so lovingly, again and again.

Your name sounds like it has been kissed a thousand times over. It doesn't sound torn and broken and dragged through glass like it does when Hoyt says it. Your skin is being rubbed ever so softly, compassion seeping through the fingers instead of hatred.

You feel something press against the side of your neck, your cheek, and it isn't his seething hot and horrid fingers, but soft lips. You are enveloped in warmth, in affection, in a love that radiates on and on. You've felt this before, but never so overpowering. It has come from Maura before, you've felt it sometimes when your eyes have met hers, you've caught a bit of it in your palm. But now it is enveloping all of your senses and your mind, a powerful potion, fighting away the darkness with one giant swoop. All the evil is fading away into it's own hole. You can hear the screams as the nightmare falls in on itself, you can hear Hoyt's scream as he loses control. You press yourself closer in order to hear the heart that beats below you, let that drown out the disintegrating woeful voices. You count the beat. _One two three _trying to set your own heart to the rhythm, slow it down.

"Maura," you whisper, and you are surprised to hear yourself out of your head.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm here, Jane. I'm here." Her voice sounds strange—softer and more raw, the sounds rounded out with more love than usual.

"Stay," is all your raspy voice can get out. You wrap your arms around her tighter, clinging to her like your life depends on it.

She i_s_ your life you realize. Maura.

"Of course. I'm not going _anywhere_."

You love how she says it like it is the most certain statement in the world, the way she moves a hand up from your back to run her fingers through your hair, the way she kisses your forehead.

You love the way she hums beneath you, her sound, her words, her touch vibrating within you, through you.

The way you know you love her—the first thing you've been certain of for days.

* * *

**It would mean a lot to me if you let me know what you thought of this one. A lot of experimental writing, a lot of myself poured into it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: posted on tumblr awhile ago. Rizzles and sex. and Rizzles. **

* * *

Jane sat restless in the backseat of the limo. She preferred to drive. Like_ needed_ to drive.

But Maura had insisted about the limo. It was part of the surprise for their anniversary. Jane knew she had planned all of it out thoroughly and she knew it was important to Maura that it went off without a hitch so she zipped her mouth shut and threw away the key.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her thigh. Now it was making its way up, up, up. She wasn't thinking about driving anymore. Jane turned towards Maura and was met with a smirk. Maura knew exactly what she was doing. And Jane wanted to kiss those lips, kiss that smirk away. Badly.

She felt Maura reach down, heard the seatbelt button pop, and suddenly Maura was dragging Jane by her belt buckle across the seat towards her.

"Maura!" Jane yelled in surprise, voice higher than usual. God knows Maura did strange things to her nobody else could.

Jane always prided herself in having the upper-hand, being one step ahead of everyone. But Maura could slip the rug out from under her—leave her gaping, trying to catch her breath. She thought she would hate that, considering the control freak that she is, but she loved it. She loved what Maura did to her.

Maura was again one step ahead of Jane. Her seatbelt was already off, her wonderful legs moving to straddle Jane. She was now somehow sitting in Jane's lap and it felt like Jane hadn't even blinked. Maura was up above her, arms wrapped around her neck, those hazel eyes aflame with something warm and fabulous that made Jane want, want, want. She craved Maura.

Even the tiny distance between them was too much. Jane wanted her lips crashing with Maura's, to be rocking in synch with each other, their pulses roaring together. And then just when she couldn't handle it anymore it was happening.

Maura was all around her. She breathed her in and that was all she needed. Air wasn't important. Just Maura and the way her lips seared against Jane's and the way their tongues twirled around each other as if in a graceful dance, and the way their bodies moved in synch with each other. It was like they had their own beat, a rhythm only they could hear. And it was just right, for it sent them so high, so far away from drivers in the front seat, criminals and obnoxious mothers.

It was as if Maura had a special match that simply lit Jane up, she was burning bright. Alive. So alive. Maura's fingers were inside her and making the flames go up higher and she was feeling Maura and nothing else was as glorious.

They made their own music with their moans. Jane had never heard anything so sweet as Maura's heavy breath in her ear, the way her voice rose and fell as they moved together as one.

Jane held Maura as they both came down from their place up high, vibrating in bliss. Their breathing was coming slower, but Maura still lay against Jane, her face buried in her neck, pressing her lips against Jane's skin every so often and making it burn once more. Jane was content to lay there with Maura forever.

Suddenly, they were both jolting forward and Maura was falling away from her and Jane's arms reacted more quickly than they ever had—even faster than when they reached for her gun in a dangerous situation. She was catching Maura and pulling her back towards her.

Then everything was still.

"Sorry about that. Sudden traffic." The driver called from up in the front.

But Jane's heart wouldn't slow down, she couldn't shake the feeling she had just gotten —the feeling of losing Maura.

The fear and the desperation had been so poignant for a second—she had watched as Maura literally slipped through her fingers. Jane tightened her grip around her.

Maura was squeezing Jane hard in return, head against Jane's chest.

"It's okay, I'm alright," Maura whispered soothingly. As if she knew all of Jane's terrifying thoughts. Well, she was listening to her heart wasn't she? And Maura was the only one who really knew all of its tones.

She held Maura even closer in response.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jane," Maura said, pulling back and looking at Jane with serious eyes. "I'm not leaving you, sweet girl. Ever. You'll always have me."

And Jane was breathing again.

* * *

**Thoughts? :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: this one I wrote awhile ago and posted on tumblr, I think right before the fourth season premiere. **

**Right after Maura's had her kidney transplant and Casey had that surgery for his leg at the same time. Jane's POV. **

******I'd like to hear your opinions about it. **

* * *

**_Only Know Your Lover When You Let Her Go _**

I almost don't see her. She's on the floor, leaning up against the doorframe that leads into her bathroom.

Crumpled is a better word. She's crumpled on the floor. Her hair covers her face and I can't see her eyes. Maybe she's unconscious. Suddenly, I'm running.

My heartbeat is racing, the soundtrack that fills up the room.

I haven't been this scared since Hoyt had his hands on her.

I cup her chin in my scarred palm, and swipe her hair away.

She is staring back at me.

I sigh in relief, but then I notice how blank her eyes are.

I've never seen them this color, a dull green-brown that reminds me of her tortoise's shell.

"Maura?" I manage to squeak out.

Then she shifts, her eyes turn towards me. I see the light come back into them slowly.

"Jane?" she whispers, her voice sounds low and dry.

"Yeah, it's me. God, are you alright, Maur?"

She looks down at herself and seems surprised, as if she's just noticed that she's on the floor.

"I must've…" she trails off, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Jane. I got up to go to the bathroom and I guess I just needed a little break. So I sat down for a second."

I stare back at her, can feel my mouth hanging obnoxiously open.

"You needed a break on your way to the bathroom five feet from your bed? I thought you were feeling better, Maur. You told me you were."

I can't help but notice how pale she is, and subconsciously stroke her cheek. She pulls away, leaving my hand grasping air.

"I am, Jane. It takes awhile to heal after getting your kidney removed," she practically snaps at me.

I sit there incredulous, now my hands uselessly lying in my lap. "Okay, but, from what I read about the recovery time, you should be feeling much better than this now. Walking around pretty easily on your own."

She just looks at me and shrugs a little. I clear my throat, not knowing how to move forward, just craving to help her, to hug her.

"Okay, so it's different for everyone. It took me longer to heal from my gunshot wound than it should've remember?"

That gets her attention. She turns back towards me, eyes wide, muscles tense.

"It could be that you need…just come on, Maur, you need help."

Now, I try to hold her hand, lightly. "Let me help."

We sit there in silence for a moment, and I can feel her fingers grasp onto mine. I smile a little at the touch, but then suddenly she's pulling away again.

"Well, I could've used that help in the first few weeks."

I sit stunned for a moment, saddened by the sudden withdrawal, the change in her tone to cold, hard, accusatory almost.

"Maura, I was with you in the hospital and I took you home and helped you around the house for the first week or so…and well, you seemed to be making a lot of progress then." I wasn't sure what else to say. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Now, she looks angry. "You _left_."

I feel my blood boil a bit, a wall inside me rising up around my heart.

"You told me to! Casey had just gotten out of the hospital and he was in worse condition then you and…well, things were complicated and I had to go see him. And you told me to."

We both stare at each other breathing hard.

Then Maura looks down and the words come out of her mouth as if pushing through glass or something equally as painful.

"You didn't come back. I thought you'd" she takes a deep breath in, and I can tell she's trying not to cry. She screws up her face in anger again, the only mask she feels comfortable enough wearing right now. "I thought you'd come back, Jane."

I think back to Casey. He had got out of the hospital, I had got tied up, spending days helping him back on his feet. The surgery had worked, but I had slowly come to realize not much was better between us. The conversation was stilted, he barely could look at me. It had felt weird and off. He had screamed at me at one point after I said something to him about healing, just trying to give him advice. But apparently my advice was not wanted or needed. I had finally walked out, guess I had enough of his bullshit. I felt bad for him, but not enough to be blind to the fact that he was treating me like crap and it all felt wrong.

And I was just done, plain and simple. I'd left his place and the first thing I'd done was call Maura. It was the first time in a couple weeks I had had time to really talk to her, but the conversation felt strained. Maura seemed different and I had just assumed she wasn't feeling well. I'd offered to come over but Maura had refused me, multiple times, saying she was feeling much better.

I look at Maura now, really look at her. God, I've never seen her so bad, not even right after the surgery. Her eyes are sunken in, her hair is wild, she's thinner than I've ever seen her, her clothes barely fit anymore. Jesus. I should have insisted on coming over. I should have—fuck.

But I had thought about the space I had craved after I shot myself. I had thought maybe Maura needed that space, and who was I not to grant it to her. '

The only reason I had come today was because so many people had told me that they had been unable to reach Maura over the last day or two and I'd gotten really worried. Now I realize that although Maura had seemed to be telling me that she wanted space, what she had really needed was a hand to hold.

And I haven't been around. I take Maura's hand in mine on instinct and before Maura can pull away, draw it up to my chest, over my heart.

"Oh, Maura. Maura, I'm so, so sorry." I'm going to cry. I can tell by the way my throat is jamming up, but I don't give a shit. This is about Maura.

"I should have been here for you. You always have for me, and I—shit, I screwed up, Maur."

Maura still won't look at me and I worry my words aren't getting through. Sorry isn't enough and I know it.

"I'm an idiot, okay? I'm an idiot and an asshole. Casey made me one. I know that's no excuse, but…hey, listen he's gone. And I really needed a wake up call, but this is it. I swear I'm back."

I take a deep breath, try to get to what's important. The tears are coming now, but I could care less.

"I love you, Maur. So much. Please. You're what's most important. Please."

I close my eyes, terrified to see Maura's face right now. Letting these words out is frightening enough.

"Please let me take care of you and love you."

Then I shut my mouth. All I hear is breathing. I wait for what feels like hours. But suddenly, something presses against my chest. I dare to open her eyes and look down to see Maura lying against me.

I sigh deeply in relief, slinking my arms around Maura and holding tight, probably tighter than I should.

"Okay," Maura whispers against my chest, wrapping her arms around me. Such a simple word, but right now I can't believe how amazing it makes me feel.

I gently lean Maura back against the wall to get a good look at her, to see her eyes. She grants me a small smile. I can't help but bend down and kiss Maura's forehead.

"We're going to get you better alright?" I pull back and Maura's smile widens. She nods.

"Can we just…sit here for awhile, though?"

I choke back a relieved laugh, then move behind Maura, carefully maneuvering her so she can lean back against my chest. I wrap my arms gently around her middle and Maura slips her hands into mine. Smiling, I press my lips to the top of Maura's head.

"That better?"

"Much," Maura sighs contentedly.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So these are a bunch of short pieces I posted on tumblr at various times. The common theme is that they are pretty sad so...fair warning. Angst ahead. **

* * *

**Maura's POV after Casey has visited and then abruptly left once again. **

She wants me to stay. She's practically pleading—the way she grabs my hand and the way she looks at me with eyes that are so hopeful. I want to so badly, but I just can't.

I can still smell him on her.

She wants me to fall asleep next to her, our shoulders touching as we lie awake in the dark struggling to fight our demons, finally winning together, as one. We've done this so many times before. Often an arm ends up wrapped around a waist at some point in the night. I never sleep better than I do with her.

I never laugh more, cry more, talk from the bottom of my heart more, love more than with her.

But I just can't get into that bed tonight. The sheets are all wrinkled, tainted from their time in bed together. It makes me nauseous thinking about him touching her, saying he loves her when really he just treats her like a rag doll, not like she's the most special person there is.

So, I turn to leave because no matter how much I've tried to treat her how she should be treated—with compassion, with gentle loving hands and arms always there to catch her—she's never fully accepted my offering. She has turned to someone else.

My chest aches as I head for the door. I can't look at her eyes—confused, hurt. My chest aches like my heart is breaking, but that can't be-it's already been broken.

It's been shattered when she chose him.

I didn't think there was anything left to break. But apparently I was wrong.

At the last minute I stop and turn. I turn because the pull towards her is too strong—like the pull of the ocean that tries to drag me out into the deep. She has sucked me into the deep and then has let me sink to the bottom and she doesn't even know.

She doesn't understand, and I'm hurting her. I can't bear to cause her pain-so I turn towards her and she's looking at me, her arms reaching out to me, palms spread up to the sky like a question—_why? _

And I wish more than anything I could tell her and hold her and love her the way I want to-kiss away the crease in her forehead.

But the words don't come, my feet head for the door. And as I pull it shut behind me, I'm certain that I'm as deep down into the ocean as I can go—there is no more air, it has all left my lungs. And my heartbeat is silent.

Silent.

* * *

**Jane's POV**

**you ask her to stay close. she does**. and thank god because you need close—you don't really have anyone and being able to be close with her, these nights sleeping over her house, this sharing of twisted thoughts and secrets—it feels like belonging. it almost feels like…you can't explain exactly, but wherever she is, you want to be.

**you tell her to stay close. she does.** she has moved so she is standing right next to you—only a small space left between. Now you can feel a static, an electricity running between the two of you as you walk beside each other down this dark passage way. truth is, you've felt a current between you and her for a few years now. and it only grows. and you wonder: _when will be the day it makes me lose control and I finally crash her lips with mine. _

**you yell at her to stay far, far away. she doesn't.** she's running towards where the danger is. you can't pick her up and drag her away—she's saving you this time. but you don't want her close right now, you need her out of the line of fire, you need her safe. she looks at you and her hands are out, palms up, almost in a pleading way: _I'm sorry. _You're looking into deep hazel, into eyes that say:

_Please forgive me. _

_I got too close. _

_There's no going back. I simply can't live without you._

And of course it is right in this moment when it hits you, when you finally fully understand that feeling she gives you—it punches you in the gut, sends you flying into the wall:

**she is **_**home**_

* * *

"That's my sister-in-law!" Frankie shouted at the sight of Maura's honey-blonde curls. Except they weren't falling softly around her face as usual, they were splayed across the white of the stretcher sprayed with blood.

He pushed past a few people, a man who probably was a doctor who tried to hold him back. He scrambled to make it to her side as they wheeled Maura quickly through the halls.

"Hey, can you tell me how she's doing?" he cried desperately. He could barely breath as he caught up and saw Maura. She was pale, so pale. And God, there was so much blood.

"Sir, you're going to need to stand back, just stay in the waiting room. We'll—" A big hand tried to hold him back from reaching her.

"Can you at least tell me if it's a through-and-through?"

He desperately tried to look over the doctor's shoulder as they rolled Maura through a pair of doors. She looked so small, so weak.

Jane. There was so much blood. Jane was going to…Maura really needed to live.

"Yes, it is," the deep voice said, slightly annoyed. "We need to get her to surgery, and the main concern is the blood loss, but I think she'll be fine. We have high hopes no major organs were hit. Alright?"

Frankie felt himself release a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Hope. There was hope. Maybe it would all be okay. He looked down the hall once more, but of course couldn't see Maura.

The dark image of her on the stretcher was permanently etched in his brain, and he slouched down in a chair, trying to get it out of his mind. Instead, he pictured Maura smiling as they all played a game of cards at pizza night. The way she laughed whenever Jane cracked a joke. How she gave him a premium pair of Red Sox tickets when he earned detective, beaming when he practically jumped up and down, bringing her into a tight bear hug.

He thought of his sister. Jane. She was so strong, but she would never make it without Maura. He looked down at his phone. It was time to let her know. Frankie felt his stomach drop.

Suddenly, Jane's name popped up on his screen. Everything sounded far away, only his heartbeat was loud and clear. He somehow was able to hit the green button.

"Janie?"

Silence. He knew his voice would give him away. "Frankie, what's wrong? What happened?"

He sat speechless, head in his hands. "Brother? What's going on, are you okay?" Jane's voice was rising in panic now.

"Maura. It's Maura, Jane. You need to come. I think she'll be okay. She has to be okay. But you need to come home."

* * *

**Give me critiques on one of them? All of them? Thanks 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So this is a compile of sweet little stories from tumblr. Because I felt kind of bad about leaving with just a bunch of short sad ones. Also, this is kind of my apology for not updating Fragmented Moments recently (things have just been crazy).**

* * *

**Inspired from the time right after Jane shot Doyle and they fought. Here, they have recently forgiven each other and started being friends again. **

"I miss you, Maur," Jane mumbled in her sleep.

Maura shifted on the bed to face Jane, took her hand. "I'm right here, Jane."

"I miss you," Jane whispered, her voice laced with pain. "Come back. Please?"

Maura furrowed her eyebrows. It had been weeks since everything had been mended between them. Jane had saved her leg, everyone was safe, and they both had admitted how sorry they were. Now, things were back to normal. Things were back to the way they should be.

Except tonight had been difficult. They had closed a case, but it hadn't ended well. Too many dead girls. She knew how much it was haunting Jane, so she had insisted on staying over after the Chinese take-out and movie marathon they had.

"Maura, please. I'm sorry."

The way Jane said her name, pleaded, made Maura's chest ache a little. Is this what it had been like for Jane? All those lonely nights apart? It had been so bleak, cold, harsh for Maura as well. But hearing this made her feel terrible.

"I'm so sorry," Jane's helpless voice cut through her thoughts again.

Maura couldn't take it anymore. She scooted closer to Jane, kissed her forehead softly. "I'm right here, Jane. It's okay."

Jane seemed to calm down somewhat, but she still was mumbling incoherently in her sleep. Then suddenly Maura could make some of the words out and they hit her right between the eyes, blinding her.

"I love you, Maura."

Maura's heart was pounding hard, her breathing hitched. She instinctively buried her face into Jane's neck, wrapped an arm around her waist, and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

She finally fell asleep lying on Jane's chest, listening to Jane's heartbeat.

* * *

Jane stood there in her backyard watching the moon rise, a big orange ball glowing on the horizon.

She breathed in the night air and let out a satisfied sigh. Jane felt quite relaxed for the first time in a long time, peaceful. Just taking in the beautiful sight of the moon's light pouring through the trees, adding it to the list of wondrous views to remember.

It would never beat the top ones on her list, which all involved Maura of course, and her unique beauty she had never seen anywhere else.

As if she had conjured her out of thin air, Jane felt Maura appear behind her, wrapping her arms securely around her waist. She grinned automatically, gently squeezed her arm.

"Hey, Maur," she whispered, afraid if she talked any louder this perfect moment, the serenity of it, would vanish.

Jane felt Maura rise up to kiss her softly on her neck, her cheek.

Jane's heart raced in a good way. She took Maura's soft hand and swung her around to her front. She needed to share this with Maura. She didn't know how badly she needed to until Maura was there.

They had switched positions and now Maura leaned back into Jane.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Jane whispered, pointing at the moon, but there was no need to do that, Maura's eyes were already fixed on it.

"You know, the moon is this red or orange color when its on the horizon because more blue light is scattered than red light at this time and the red photons pass through making it appear more red."

Jane absorbed this information like a sponge. She loved the way her wife's brain worked, her google mouth.

"Wow," she whispered, tucking this information away for when their three old son saw the moon like this and asked why.

That seemed to be all he said these days— "Why, Mama?" "Why, Mommy?" Maura was usually the one to explain, but Jane liked to be able to help with this too.

"You're right," Maura sighed, "It's breath-taking."

Jane nodded in agreement, but then wrapped her arms tighter around Maura. "But not quite so much as what I've got in my arms."

Maura let out a little giggle. Jane loved that sound more than anything. Suddenly, the moon wasn't so fascinating anymore.

She whipped Maura around to face her.

"I'm very lucky," Jane said, and then leaned forward, pressing her lips to Maura's who moaned in agreement.

It was a quick journey to their bed, Jane carrying Maura through the backyard, the moon lighting the way.

* * *

**Okay, I hope that brightens your day a bit xx**


End file.
